From Father Steven - January 12, 2025

Father Steven Clemence • January 9, 2025

 

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

 

Please see the reflection below from Fr. Victor.

 

God Bless,

Fr. Steven

_______________________________________

Dear Parishioners of Immaculate Conception,

 

BAPTISM [Lk 3:15-16, 21


We all know that Jesus was baptized by John the Baptist in the river of Jordan. In the gospels of Matthew, Mark and Luke, we saw the Holy Trinity active and present: the Father spoke; the Son was made known by the Father and the Holy Spirit descended upon Jesus. Though we may think at first glance that all the Gospels are the same, Luke wants to present some different and meaningful details. Let us see what he has to say about it.


 For one, Luke does not describe the baptism of Jesus. What was important for Luke was what happened immediately after his baptism. Jesus was PRAYING and he received the Holy Spirit. Prayer is one of Luke's favorite themes: For the first time, we see Jesus in dialogue with the Father. He needs to pray now that he is about to embark on his mission. So that to remain faithful to the Father, he needs to pray.


 After this, like Matthew and Mark, Luke describes the next scene: THE HEAVEN OPENS, The HOLY SPIRIT descended upon him like a dove, and a voice came from heaven:, “YOU ARE MY BELOVED SON, WITH WHOM I AM WELL PLEASED.” [Lk 3: 21f]


 What do those words mean?.


 The “heaven opens” alludes to the Old Testament. For the last centuries before Christ, the people felt that heaven was closed because of their sins and infidelities. No prophets were sent and so they prayed to God: “Do not let your anger go too far or think of our sins forever. O that you would rend the heavens and come down.” [Isaiah 64:1] It is a desperate plea to God, asking him to intervene, even to the point of tearing open the heaven to deliver them.


 Then “the Holy Spirit descended upon him like a dove and it rested on Jesus. Moved by the Spirit, Jesus will always approach sinners with so much gentleness as a dove. His heart is always moved with compassion as in the raising of Lazarus and the widow’s only son; feeding of the multitude; healing of the lepers and the blind men; dining with sinners; even inviting himself to Zacchaeus’ house, etc.


“You are my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased.” “You are my Son” is from Psalm 2:7, presents Jesus as the Father’s Son, guaranteeing His presence in Jesus’ words and works. So that “to see me, is to see the Father,” [Jn 14:9]  Jesus told Philip during the last supper. In our baptism, the Father repeats the same words to us, “you are my son, you are my daughter,” and so we become God’s own children too.


The Beloved alludes to Isaac, the beloved son of Abraham. Jesus, the new Isaac, is the Father’s beloved Son who will ultimately be offered as a sacrifice for forgiveness of sins for our salvation. 


“In him, I am well pleased.” Why? Because “He comes to do the will of the one who sent him.” [Jn 6:38] He enters into the waters of Jordan ‘to wash away the sins of the world’ and to give his life “as a ransom for many.” [Is 53:11f]


Having said these, so what’s in it for me? What is the Good News?


 Jesus’ baptism not only foreshadows his own suffering, death and resurrection but also ours, if we remain in him. His descent into the Jordan River foretells the saving acts of death and resurrection. Through his baptism, we were born into the womb of Mother Church, making us adopted children of God, our Father. And victorious over sin and death, Jesus has secured for us twofold blessings: the promise of eternal life and a participation in the Triune God’s divine life.

 

God Bless,

Fr. Victor

 

From Father Steven - April 19, 2026

By Father Steven Clemence • April 17, 2026
Dear Brothers and Sisters, I hope you are having a blessed Easter season and were able to enjoy some of the beautiful weather we had recently. This week, we will be launching our annual parish raffle, as we do each year. This is one of our main parish fundraisers. Although our parishioners are always very generous, this year we have incurred unexpected expenses due to snow removal and increased utility costs. This raffle helps us cover some of those expenses. In addition to supporting our parish, the raffle also contributes to the priestly formation at the Redemptoris Mater Seminary. Years ago, several pastors came together and saw this as a meaningful way to support both our parishes and the seminary. You can find more details online, but approximately 60% of the proceeds from tickets sold remain with the parish, 20% covers expenses, and 20% supports the formation of new priests for the Archdiocese of Boston. It is truly a win-win-win situation. Each ticket costs $20. The prizes include a 2026 Honda Ridgeline (pickup truck), a 2026 Honda Civic Sport, and $15,000 in cash prizes (five prizes of $2,000 and five prizes of $1,000). The drawing will take place on September 27th. The success of the raffle depends greatly on parishioners who are willing to help sell tickets to family and friends. You will have until September 13th to sell tickets and return the envelopes to the parish office. For the first time, we are offering an incentive: whoever sells the most tickets will receive a $400 prize. During the initial phase, which will take place this weekend and next, we will offer envelopes containing 20 tickets for those who would like to take them home to sell. Additional envelopes will be available at the parish office. At a later date, tickets will also be sold at Mass (before and after the summer). For those who would prefer to purchase individual tickets, they are always available at the parish office through Lee Ann. We invite you to consider helping us this year. Last year, our parish raised $18,045 in profit from the raffle. Altogether, participating parishes contributed $115,000 to support the seminary. We hope to surpass that amount this year. Please feel free to reach out if you need more information. I would like to thank you for your continued generosity to the parish, to those in need, and for all that you do quietly and faithfully. It is a privilege to witness your kindness. Additionally, I ask for your prayers for the upcoming celebrations of the sacraments. Next week, children from the Brazilian community will receive their First Communion on Saturday, followed by the Spanish community on Sunday. The English community will celebrate First Communion the following week at the 11:00 a.m. Mass. Many couples will also be receiving the sacrament of marriage in the coming months. Finally, our youth will receive the sacrament of Confirmation on May 29th in Portuguese and on June 5th in English & Spanish. That same season, we will celebrate our annual Eucharistic procession on the Feast of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ (Corpus Christi) on June 7th. If you have never participated, I encourage you to mark your calendars and join us. Some parishioners begin preparing a sawdust carpet in the early hours of  the morning and finish just in time for the procession. It is a beautiful tradition that honors the Body and Blood of Christ. God Bless, Fr. Steven

From Father Steven - April 12, 2026

By Father Steven Clemence • April 10, 2026
Dear Brothers and Sisters, HAPPY EASTER!!! We are still celebrating Easter (and we will continue until Pentecost!). I would like to share with you this weekend the article that the Archdiocese has written in response to some media requests to comment on the rise of people coming back to the faith. Over the past 4 years we have seen a steady and significant increase in non-Christians [or unbaptized] becoming Catholic during the Easter season. Regarding specifically catechumens participating in the Rite of Election, these are the numbers for the Archdiocese of Boston: 2023: we had 299; 2024 - 360; 2025-438; 2026-680. What’s the reason? Probably a combination of factors including a fundamental need to be closer to God. The first observation is that we believe it to be the direct action of the Holy Spirit, and not simply a sociological phenomenon or the success of some program or another. In fact, Archbishop Henning has said that “this seems to be something that the Lord is doing - the Spirit of the Lord is always at work in the world and in the Church and we are happy to see such a response in people’s hearts to Jesus’ call to follow Him.” The Archbishop notes that ”we seek to cooperate with the action of the Spirit; but it is His work, not ours.” Has Pope Leo had an impact? Yes. It’s not just being the First American Pope; it is that he has captured a sense of community with Catholics across the world and very clearly in the US Catholic Church. The wave had been growing before his election but is now picking up speed and size. There is a sense of spiritual renewal in the Archdiocese of Boston. We have seen it in our parishes across the Archdiocese. Archbishop Henning has put an emphasis on engaging with Catholics across the archdiocese at the parish level and in our schools, with a particular focus on youth and young adults. In a recent interview, Patrick Krisak, the archdiocese’s director of faith formation and missionary discipleship said, “There may not be a revival across the country, but there are revivals,” he said. “And at what point do all of those pockets of revival that we’re seeing all over the country add up to a revival?” The two main categories of folks we see being welcomed into the Church are children/adolescents, who mostly did not receive their sacraments on the typical schedule, and adults. A key component is the work at the parish level in welcoming and accompanying families where adults and children seek to join communities of faith. In addition, Rev. Eric Cadin, Director of Vocations with the Archdiocese, said that “among college age young people, there is a profound openness to the big questions. This includes questions such as, where do I come from? What is my purpose? What does all this mean? More importantly, so many who are exposed to division and even cruelty, especially online, as well as in real life, are actively resisting and moving away from that. And it leads them to an openness to faith, especially one that promotes love your enemy. That is a radical truth, that captivates young people, especially in the world in which we live. They meet people in the church who engage their real questions with generosity and grace and mercy, and it is very attractive to them.” Here in the parish we are happy to announce that 39 people received Baptism on Easter, and 3 people were welcomed into the Catholic Faith (they were baptized Protestant). Some of them were children, others teenagers, and some adults as well. They were baptized, confirmed and received their first communion all together. Please continue to pray for them as they really began their journey and for those who are still being called into the faith. Congratulations to all of you that received your sacraments and we look forward to walking along with you!  Finally, I would like to invite you all to the Divine Mercy celebration that will take place this Sunday at 3:00pm in the Church. If you have never attended, it is a beautiful moment! If you are not familiar with it, search about and be ready to be marveled by it. God Bless, Fr. Steven